Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-02-09
A ROYAL RETREAT.
The Famous Mountain Fortress Of
the King of Cor3a.
A short Journey in q Comparatively Un-
known Land-Buddhist Monks aud
Native Dancing Girlc "A Hari
Road to Travel.

party went, at the ipvitation Of tho King
of Corea. to visit his famous mountain re-
treat. One plucky lady was to accompany
Us A sedan chair had been provided for
her, but she preferred o horse. Early in
the morning we were stirring about, try
ing to get look ut our ponies without en-
countering their heels. Having made So
lections and gotten the gear. well ar
ranged, we prepared to mount: A for
eigner, with his expansc Of leg, tightly
q tting jacket, red hair and ominous-look-
ing hat, always seems to strike terror to
the mind of Corean pony. The broad
Chinese road soon after leaving the tri,S
umph al arch passed through a very deep
and difficult pass, cut in a tortuous course
out of the solid rock, which rose on one
side to o dizzy height and would allow Of
small, determined band doing much.
damage to an invading army by rolling
huge stones upon them. CThey now have
Gatling guns, and one of them could COM
mand this pass)
After getting through the pass our
course was winding, but upward. Tho
view was not extensive. as we were shut
in On all sides by high mountains, between
which lay pretty valleys, yellow with the
heavy crop of rice, and tordered on the
hillsidos by cool, shady pine groves. Our
road at last became path, and finally got
10 be so rough that we wero Obliged to
dismount and walk the rest of the way
Winding around a deep, rocky gully, with
slopiug sides of smooth black rock, we
came to the gaze in the wall of the fort
ress. The gate was SO placed as TO COM
mand the winding approach II is con-,
structed of huge blocks of stones, and the
wall which it pierces is quite strong one,
running down across a valley between
two peaks and allowing the noun tain
stream which drains the fortress to pass
out beneath it. The scenery from the gate
TO the heart of the fortress was grand AMI
inspiring The wooded, rocky peaks roso
high on either side. while tho little valley
was filled with huge fragments which had
fallen from the mountains Ever and anon
we would get GlimpSes OF little silver
waterfalls away up near the clouds, while
below Us the mountain stream had in many
places followed out fine stone baths with
cushions of soft, clear sand. which looked
indeed very inviting Although it was q
hot day, we were at such an elevation and
were so exposed to the wind as it swept
up the tortuous valley that we could not
sit long in quaint little pagoda like build
ing built on natural stone pillars in the
midst of the little stream and command
ing fine Wow Of rugged peaks and dainty
waterfalls. Pushing on we soon came to
! large Buddhist temple, which seemed to
be the center of the place. Here were
numbers Of priests with smoothly shaved
heads, peculiar round hats and--of COURSE.
their heads. We pleased them by goingin
to gaze on their sleepy Buddha and admire
their sweet-toned bronze bell. :
At this place we fcuai Tie officers and
band of music sent from the palace for
our entertainment. We tool, our seats
chairs) at the table, drank American
beer, coffee, champagne, ate potted meat
and biscuit from England, smoked Ger
man cigars and nibbled at the Corean
dainties. While we feasted on foreign ar
| tic.es in this weird unknown place IN o
hitherto unknown country, the effect was
heightened by the strange, wild music,
which at times became quite monotonous,
but would then swell up and seem to par
take Of the untamed nature of the sur
roundings. After two hours of this enter
tainment we strolled out to get better
look at the Kings hiding place. On the
north we found the walls of the place to
consist of three very high peaks of appa-
rently solid stone. One we called the
''sugar-loaf" ltresembled somewhat the
dome of st. Paurs. ana was as even as
though it had been hewn out. From these
peaks a ridge shuts in the place down to
the mouth of the valley, which is protect
ed by n wall. Within, still further up the
valley, another succession of peaks and
ridges, forms the inclosure on the south
and west. The hills are not so high in the
east, and are consequently capped by q
wall, as IS also the south side. Proceed
ing south from the Buddhist temple we
passed various store-houses filed with
rice and other articles of food, in such
quantities as would be necessary for
withstanding long siege.
From the palace long ascent brought
as to the southwest gate of the fortress,
from the gallery Of which we obtained q
magnificent view of the sea and islands,
some forty miles distant, together With
the country intervening. Ships could also
be seen at the port, thirty miles distant,
while the Hau river, which connects the
port and capital by its eighty miles of un-
certain wandering, lay like a great lazy
snake before us. We had refreshments
again at this place, and u party Of dan cling
girls, sent from the palace, met US hero
and helped in our entertainment. This
gate leads direct to the city and an attack
ing force would not be apt to attempt to
pass it, 1t could be very easily held, how
ever. Its approach is a steep rugged de-
file between two mountains, the path fol
lows a serpentine course, where travellers
must go single file, and in places
a misstep would plunge one down a
steep precipice. Also in many
places there are paths made around
high hill of granite-sand. With
n few shovels the retreating party could
, destroy this path and get inside the gate
while the pursuers were finding an un
, certain path lower down. The path seems
, to be left in as rough and neglected a con
dition as is possible in order to make 1t less
useful to an enemy. The King himself
takes still another way, only reached by q
private gate in the palace wall. This road
, leads for much of the distance over
ridge of granite-sand, which is kept wei
rounded up all the time, but as soon as hi:
Majesty has retreated across it il is to bt
, destroyed and pursuit by this path is hope
less. Judging by the trouble we expert
enccd in coming down the dizzy path, al
enemy would have hard time going up
AS 1t was only one of our party was hurt
e He got to going too fast over steep sam
ridge, and not being able TO catch hold o
anything TO stop his headlong course, hi
9 legs refused to keep up with his body ant
2 he fell, sustaining slight injury.